4A - The Michigan Daily - Monday, March 5, 2001 cFtje lhi2' u n ui'rg 420 MAYNARD STREET ANN ARBO)R, MI 48109 daily. letters@urnich.edu Returning from spring break reveals different A2 MIKE SPAHN PRAY FOR RAIN 6 EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SINCE 1890 GEOFFREY GAGNON Editor in Chief MICHAEL GRASS NICHOLAS WOOMER Editorial Page Editors Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of the Daily's editorial board. All other articles, letters and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily. 've been taking things too seriously lately. All this talk of elections, presidential searches and major national issues is getting . on my nerves, so I'm sure anyone who still reads this column must be really sick of it. So, I'm going to take this opportunity to delve into a topic that is not controversial, will not shape the lives of millions and does not enrage half the campus based on my own feelings. For three years now I've left Ann Arbor to take a break from classes, work and the craziness of college at the end of February. Without fail, snow lines the streets as I begin my journey to spring break. And without fail, there is some trace of snow still on the ground when I return. But I've been able to count on a more important trait that first day I return to Ann Arbor as well: A complete shift in attitude, feel and atmosphere in the city. March in Ann Arbor is a gorgeous time to be a college student. With midterms behind us and finals a far away blip on the radar screen, finally we have the chance to enjoy the city that has pounded us with sleet, snow and freezing temperatures for months. This winter wasn't that bad, but I still yearned for the first day I could walk through the Diag without a coat, see stu- dents sprawled on the grass reading and enjoy some cookies 'n cream from Stucci's without rushing indoors. So, as this is my final spring in Ann Arbor, I've been reflecting about my favorite spring activi- ties and planning for this year's enjoyment. Let me say that I checked the forecast for this week, and it's supposed to snow at the end of the week. But let that not throw me off course, because it's nice today, and I can't wait for spring: If there is one great place in Ann Arbor to enjoy a drink, some friends and the beautiful weather, that place surely is Dominick's. I've hear unconfirmed rumors that this watering hole will open its doors for the season today, and I'll be there the second they do. While other campus bars add limited outdoor seating when spring rolls into town, only Dominick's can provide a truly outdoor experience. Coupled with hefty amounts of their coveted sangria, the atmosphere at Dominick's can't be beat. If they can only deal with the long lines that will surely form moments after they open, then fun is sure to be had by all. o I love waking up at 6:45 and heading out to the University Golf Course to be the first one on the tee. Playing at your own pace, a round can be completed in time for your 11 a.m. lecture, with a stop at Brueg- ger's in between. But the real gem of a course for early spring golfing has to be Rolling Hills. Tucked behind US-23 to the east, this little known beauty looks nothing like Pebble Beach or Augusta National, but it has grass, greens and pins. That's all you need. This place is barely a golf course, but for three years now it has served as the first track I've hit north of the Mason-Dixon line in the spring. For those who have never visited, yes, you do just pay the guy in the coveralls $10 for all you can play, and I highly suggest a beer from the club- house. A roommate of mine and myself will see you out there this week. While I can't say that I've spent excessive amounts of time in the Arbore- tum, it's a great place, and the spring is the time to be there. Later in the day the better, trust me. It can be a fun place. Finally, and perhaps most important- ly, go buy a grill. It's an essential piece of equipment for any Ann Arbor summer. If you're lucky enough to have a porch rid- dled with second-hand couches like me, then few experiences could be finer than grilling up some dogs and burgers, turning your speakers toward the windows and hanging out with some friends. The only trouble I can see through this spring is how to fit all of these experiences in. I guess early morning golf, lunchtime BBQs and evening Dominick's runs will be in order. Oh yeah, and some class here and there, too. Mike Spahn's column runs every other Monday. Give him eedback at www.michigandaily.comnorum or via e-mail at mspahn@umich.edu. I I 'Whenever the last game is over we'll do the evaluation. I have not talked to any potential candidate or coach. I would just not do that. Wait 'til it's over.' -Athletic Director Bill Martin last week regarding the future of Michigan men's basketball coach Brian Ellerbe. Wilson has 'unhealthy mentality of whites vs. minorities' To THE DAILY: In response to Adam Wilson's letter to the editor ("Blacks, Hispanics have them- selves to blame for low status," 2/23/01), it is obvious that Wilson has never taken a sociology or American culture class and if he did, he did not learn anything from it. I was shocked by Wilson's extremely limited view and understanding of society around him. It is unfortunate that he makes it seem like all blacks and Hispanics are the product of slums in his letter. He fails to see the larger picture of the dynamics of society and fails to ask himself why, on average, under-represented minority groups on college campuses, such as blacks and Hispanics, have lower incomes and "low status" as he puts it. The answer is not because they do not like money and don't want to get rich; common sense tells us that everyone likes financial security. The reason why there is economic inequality is because there are certain societal forces at work that put many minority groups in the United States at a disadvantage and denying this fact is denying reality. Undoubtedly, racism and prejudice is a fact of life for minority groups and this makes it tougher for these groups to move up the economic and social ladder. As a result, they are presented with many fewer educational opportunities. It is important for Wilson to realize that his parents are not the only parents who "dedicated their whole lives to making sure that (their chil- dren) would have the best schooling possi- ble." All parents want the best for their children, however, everyone is not on a level playing field to begin with. I am sure that there are parents out there who worked just as hard or even harder than Wilson's parents in hopes of sending their child to college, but their child is still unable to receive the type of education that Wilson might have received, not because they or their child were slackers, but because of the explicit, implicit and institu- tionalized racism that exists today. It is extremely unfair for Wilson to state, "Don't blame white people, blame your parents," in reference to blacks and His- panics for the social inequalities that exist. How can he blame the parents for the inequalities that exist today? Wilson must realize that the parents of blacks and His- panics are not the cause of the racism and prejudice in our society. It is unfortunate that Wilson is trapped in the unhealthy mentality of whites vs. minorities with respect to college admis- sions because these are exactly the close- minded views that lead to resentment and prejudice on campus. Besides studying to earn our degree, college is a place where students should learn from one another and get to understand the differences and per- spectives of different people. It should not be a place where resentment is propagated and stereotypes are reinforced, as Wilson has unfortunately done. DANIEL WONG LSA sophomore HOW PROFESSORS IMAGINE STUDENTS SPEND SPRING BREAK ~~- als s HOW STUDENTS REALLY SPEND SPRING BREAK - 4,1 I 6 I . A this time," 2/22/01). One cannot double the number of votes of his opponents (as Hide- ki did) by running a campaign students consider a farce (if this were the case, I imagine the FRAT party would have been far more successful). I first saw Hideki the September before the election, outside of Michigan Stadium, holding up his now famous sign as students walked to a football game, when no one was thinking about MSA. I was in the Mug on two occasions when Tsutsumi stood up on a chair and gave a speech about the importance of hard work and good leadership to students who mostly refused to listen. And I met Tsutsu- mi when he approached me on State Street one day, told me he was running for MSA President and asked me what concerns I had about the assembly. These are not the actions of someone running a joke cam- paign. I saw the Blue Party, on the other hand, the week before the election, passing out cotton candy and t-shirts on the Diag. Had they taken the election as seriously as Hideki did, I'm sure they would have won. Hideki may not have had the experience necessary to be an effective MSA presi- dent, but he certainly had the dedication. His hard work and subsequent victory dur- ing the election should not be trivialized as "a joke," but applauded. ANUj VOHRA Alumnus Graduate affirmative action serves purpose To THE DAILY: In response to Daniel Smith's letter ("Graduate affirmative action does not make sense," 2/21/01) regarding affirma- tive action at the graduate level, I find it difficult to accept such a simplistic view from someone who is a sophomore in col- lege. Smith implies that students of color are admitted to graduate level schools based solely on the color of their skin. Wilson singles out Blacks, Latinos, ignores class issues To THE DAILY: I am writing in regards to Adam Wil- son's letter to the editor ("Blacks, Hispan- ics have themselves to blame for low status," 2/23/01). It seems that Wilson feels that Black and Latino students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds should blame their parents (not white peo- ple) for their unequal access to education. Well, I do not blame those kids' parents and I do not blame white people. I blame Wilson and other people who hold his beliefs. In his letter, he talks about the "poor," "poorer," "inferior education," and "disadvantaged" people. It seems that Wil- son is talking about a class issue, not a race issue. Yet, he chooses to single out blacks and Latinos. It would be wrong of me to assume that all white people are as preju- diced as Wilson. You cannot generalize blacks and Latinos because not all of them are poor. Not all of them sit around and blame white people for what they are going through. The problem here is the mentality of which Wilson is so proud that he has to look out for number one and you are rewarded for what "you achieve." Well we do not "achieve" alone, people are here because of their parents, because they had the good fortune of getting good jobs which they got thanks to someone, because they got an education thanks to someone else and so on and so forth. So that "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" mental- ity is crap. The problem lies in a system that allows education to be more than inferior, it allows it to be unequal. And it is unequal due to people who think like Wilson. Disadvan- taged people have not made the decision to live in poverty. It is the people who run this country who want to keep-the rich richer and the poor poorer. Mr. Wilson, you live in the land of prej- udice, in the suburb of ignorance and in the house of privilege. What you need to real- 0 a0 0 6 t~iiI> aren nnieror av sm.s-Lev~Iww vui~~L~Y,~ I